Today, anyone with Windows 11 who has set up a PIN, face unlock and fingerprint unlock must choose the method manually on the lock screen. Only the one selected is active. If the screen opens on the PIN, the webcam is not looking for your face, and you must switch to face unlock first.
In the latest Windows 11 preview builds, a hidden feature ID enables a new sign-in experience. The PIN box is shown by default, while face unlock and fingerprint unlock stay active and ready to authenticate at the same time, with no need to select a method.
Image: Microsoft
Windows will try to capture whichever biometric method is configured even when the PIN box is on screen. The method-selection options are no longer displayed, the lock screen looks cleaner, and sign-in is faster for users with biometrics enabled.
Microsoft has not yet officially announced the new sign-in flow, but Windows Central, which first described it, expects official testing soon, since the feature is already polished and has been in development for months. Microsoft's guidance on Windows Hello notes that the PIN is tied to a single device and backed up for recovery with the Microsoft account.
Image: Microsoft
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